BY ANY OTHER NAME (Forbidden #1) by J M DARHOWER

“The after. Every moment is just the aftermath of whatever came before it.”

We love a good Mafia book; because really, what’s not to love? Thrilling suspense, passion, drama and hot tempered sensuality. JM Darhower nailed it yet again with the first book in her new series like we knew she would. This Author has a knack for completely engrossing her readers, sweeping them up and placing us slam bang in the middle of her world of passion and warring families.

“The Prodigal Son and the Ice Princess, huh? Sounds like a terrible fairy tale. You know, the kind where the big bad wolf eats everybody in the end.”

We loved everything about this story…..EVERYTHING! A condemned love set amongst violence, revenge and bloody rivalry. A modern beautiful and sexy romance set in the old-age ugly side of life, it was perfection.

“Don’t look her in the eyes, she’s dangerous. They have a lot of names for you…the ice princess…Medusa…they say you’re the worst kind of monster, the kind that can bring a man to his knees, that can shatter his world with a simple stare.”

Genna Galante is a wild child; the daughter of the head of the Galante crime family, Primo. She’s young, rebellious and fiercely protected by her family. It’s as if her life is spiralling out of control perhaps out of boredom or wanting to release herself from her family’s control. She’s got a feisty personality and a heart that begs to be loved.

“It’s too late for me, though. I already looked the soul-stealer in the eyes.”

Matty Barsanti – could we love this bad-arse any more than we already do? No, not possible! He’s Mafia-Geek – our new LOVE! He’s the first-born Barsanti son and as such expected to take over and help eliminate the enemy in the long standing feud with the Galante family. Two families ripped apart by tragedy. A tragedy that lives at the forefront of every memory and consequent action.

“Death has been after me since I was young. It doesn’t matter what I do….when it’s ready to find me it will.”

Matty’s demeanour, behaviour and attitude is original and so far from clichéd as you can get. When Matty-B loves, he LOVES. He has an ingrained beauty and passion which we shed many tears over, in particular the scenes with his Mum. Seriously, we’re welling up now just thinking about their relationship. Matty has been notably absent for reasons we began to discover but as yet don’t know the full extent of.

‘His absence had turned him into a legend of sorts, a scary bedtime story about the boy who may or may not be dead.’

Genna and Matty…..Matty and Genna….a true love story almost destined to fail at the onset. A love story that began in innocence and under no expectations or masked illusions. We felt their emotions and despaired with them at their discoveries and the dangerous obstacles placed in their path through family obligations.

This is a story of family, loyalty, protection, love and survival. This is a story where every character counts and where every voice and relationship lends to the overall perfection of it. This is a story that’s just beginning and we’ll be there every step of the way.

 ‘They were merely standing in the eye of the hurricane….and it only stayed calm for so long.’

**Reviewed from an ARC copy provided by the author with thanks**